Frequently Asked Questions - Youth Training

Organizations incur the site license fee only for the first trainer. The license fee is charged to each site using the material. The second trainer incurs only the training fee.

To ensure the material is taught per Chef-K standards, we require our licensees to take the training and purchase the limited license. Special arrangements—such as phone training—may be possible for experienced instructors or in the case of other special circumstances which will be considered individually by Chef-K.

Your costs include the instructor's training and limited license fees. You'll also need to cover the salary of the instructor, as well as the price of food and consumables, such as plates and napkins. In addition, you may incur one-time costs when you set up and outfit your kitchen.

The instructor’s guide provides a comprehensive list of tools. The list of tools varies slightly by class.

A kitchen is not required for Get Cooking 1 and Get Cooking 2. However, it's easier to deliver these courses if a sink is available. Most other programs require a kitchen.

Chef-K will provide you a 10% discount on training if staffs from multiple Boys & Girls Clubs join in on the Train-the-Trainer sessions at your kitchen. Each attendee will incur a small fee to cover the Chef-K instructor’s travel.

Currently, Chef-K instructors teach in Boys & Girls Clubs in the San Francisco Bay Area. If you are outside the Bay Area, we will work with you to find a solution. Solutions might include, bringing out staff to your area, helping you interview and hire a trainer, or overseeing your staff through regular conference calls.

Yes. These programs can be taught all year long. A seasonal vegetable chart and additional recipes are provided in the instructor's guide to accommodate seasonal differences.

Generally, the material changes very little based on age.  Food is an equalizer and recipes can be handled by kids in any part of the age range. In mixed-age groups, older children often help younger ones read and interpret the recipe instructions.  Simpler modules are available for younger kids, such as pre-school aged students.

Each class in every course includes some hands-on portions for students.

Built-in flexibility means the schedule can be set up to meet your needs. However, it's best to keep the 2-hour classes intact. To accommodate scheduling needs, some clubs have opted to teach the six classes over twelve weeks.

In addition to the time of the classes, either 2 or 3 hours, you will typically need about 30 minutes before and after class for preparation and clean up.

We have about 8 programs or courses on different topics. To learn more, click here. Our popular beginning courses—Get Cooking 1, Get Cooking 2, and Now We're Cooking—were developed as six 2-hour class modules to be delivered weekly, often used for after-school programs

Other camps, including All American and It's Greek, contain five 3-hour sessions. These courses are best taught over five days in a row, often as a summer camp.

All of our courses are ready to go. Train-the-Trainer courses are available.  To learn more, click here.

Laurie Zerga taught her first culinary camp in summer of 2002. Her programs have evolved and she has been adding to them since their inception.

Exercises included in key program modules provide feedback and documentation appropriate for developing metrics for board or grantor review.

Chef-K can be engaged to:

• Organize and teach the classes
• Train in-house staff to teach the classes, provide curriculum and training materials
• A mix of the two